Consumers have been snapping the masks up after seeing TV footage of Mexicans wearing them.
"Everybody and their brother is out of them," said John Conyers, purchasing manager for Hammer Medical Supply in Des Moines. Conyers said he typically stocks 300 to 600 masks, but he ran out early this week. Most wholesalers are out of them, he said, but he managed to order another 600 Thursday. After those run out, he said, he doesn't know when he will be able to get more.
Conyers didn't hold back a mask for himself. He is skeptical that they would make much difference. Advice on the matter is mixed from medical authorities. Experts at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say masks might help lessen the chance of transmission in crowded areas. But they say other measures, including avoiding crowds and frequently washing hands, probably would be more effective than wearing masks.
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